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But then something happened that restored a little bit of their hope; though, in reality, it further portended their doom. Ge Ge and Greenstockings were in the galley after a meal. Greenstockings had gotten it into her mind that she would have tea, and was rooting about in the various closets and cupboards in the hopes of finding something that had been overlooked. Upon opening one door, she discovered a small crate which she had never before noticed. She yelped.

Ge Ge raced to her side, thinking that she had discovered the evil cat.

By this point in the expedition, each crew member was so thoroughly familiar with the ship and its contents that the discovery of something unfamiliar was terribly shocking. Ge Ge gasped when he saw the crate.

It was full of small foil sachets.

Their excitement could not be contained, and the jubilant noises they made soon attracted the rest of the crew.

‘We found food! More food!’ yelled Greenstockings.

‘It’s true,’ said Ge Ge. ‘A whole crate of rations.’

‘How could we have missed it?’ said Richards.

‘Who cares?’ said Back. ‘It’s food!’

‘How much is there?’ asked Hood.

‘A crate of rations doesn’t change our situation,’ said Richards. ‘We still need to stick to the ration schedule. It certainly makes me feel better, though.’

‘What kind of food is it?’ asked Akaitcho.

Neither Ge Ge nor Greenstockings had thought to check. Greenstockings examined one of the sachets.

‘It doesn’t have a label,’ she said.

‘That’s funny,’ said Richards. ‘Maybe it’s on the box.’

Ge Ge read the side where it said, ‘Steak tartare?’

‘Who the hell thought steak tartare was a good idea?’ asked Hood.

‘I can’t say it’s my favorite,’ said Akaitcho.

‘Misery makes us acquainted with strange tastes,’ said Back.¹

‘I always kind of liked steak tartare,’ said Franklin. ‘Feels fancy to me.’

Out of curiosity, they opened one of the newly-discovered sachets at their next meal. The label was accurate. It was filled with bright red slivers of meat. Unlike most of their other rations, these were not freeze-dried, but rather were vacuum-sealed.

‘Maybe they thought it would be a treat,’ said Hood.

This fortuitous discovery buoyed everyone’s spirits, even though the meat was gamy and a little tough.²